One Call To Change It All
by catgirld86
Summary: When Eri gets a call from Ran, panic sets in for everyone. What is the purpose for the call? Will Shinichi live? Read to find out! Note: DOUBLE ENDING! Rated T, just to be safe. Somewhat happy ending, despite second category. Shinichi/Ran
1. Chapter 1

Hi. This is just the setup for my double ending story. The prologue, if you wish. Enjoy!

"....." words

_italicized_ thought Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

Eri Kisaki always kept her cell phone on nowadays. She never knew when her daughter was going to call anymore, and when she did she was normally in tears. But it was all because of Shinichi Kudo's disappearance. That and he barely called.

Anyways, it had become a habit. But not even she could have predicted the call she received from her daughter at midnight on Thursday.

When Eri heard her phone ring, she sat up somewhat to search blindly for it. Finding it, she brought it up to her face and, with eyes closed and half asleep, answered, "Eri Kisaki, how may I help you?"

"Mom, it's Ran." she heard amongst sniffles and sobs. When Eri heard this, she sat up, completely awake now. She mentally got ready for a long night.

"Honey, what's wrong? Come on, tell Mommy all about it." she said. Only sniffles were heard. Eri sighed. _A guessing game night. Figures. _"Does it have to do with your father?" silence. "Sonoko?" silence. "Conan?" more silence."Boy trouble?" sniffles. Now they were getting somewhere. "Did Shinichi call?" a sob. She had just hit the nail on the head.

She was about to ask another question when Ran's barely audible voice stopped her. "Conan's with his parents, Sonoko is out of the country on vacation, Kazuha is worried enough about Heiji, Dad is passed out drunk again, and you're the only one left I can talk to."

Oh no. She was the last person Ran could talk to? Mom is supposed to be the first one on the list. "Talk all you want, sweetheart. I've got all the time in the world." Damn, and she had an important meeting at seven. Oh, well, her daughter's sanity was more important.

"Uh-huh. *sniffle* He called again. But, oh, Mom, I may never see him again!" she broke down in sobs. Sigh. She must have been over reacting again. _Maybe this won't be such a long night after all._

"Honey, I'm sure you're just over reacting. Now calm down and we-" but she didn't get to finish.

"Mom, I'm not over reacting!" she shouted. "He told me he may die tomorrow night!" she broke down into sobs again, her momentary anger long forgotten.

_The young detective, die? Unthinkable. Impossible. Ludicrous. Ridiculous. Or was it? _Ran thought so. "Tell me what happened."

It took a few minutes for Ran to calm down enough to talk, but calm down she did. "Well, it was the first time since Conan left a couple months ago that he had called. Oddly, I was more relieved than angry. I had been so scared that something had happened to him. The conversation started off normally, though. But when I asked him where he was, he said 'Closer than you think, Ran, closer than you think.' And when I asked him when he was coming home, he said, 'That's what I'm calling about.'

"He said he was in deep. That before he could come home, he had to take care of it. And then he told me that it was unavoidable. It was either now or later. Then he said that...that...he was calling to say goodbye!"

Ran started sobbing again. Eri felt sick. Sick to her stomach.

"Ran, calm down. What did he say." sobs were the only answer. "Ran, what did he say! Answer me, dammit!" Eri was scared. Ran seemed to be sobbing her heart out. It was such a heart retching sound, it was a sound that could dim anyone's spirit.

A good ten minutes later, Ran could talk again. "Now, what did he tell you, Ran?" Eri asked her daughter in a you-better-answer-me voice.

"Well, before he could say anymore, I a-asked him if he was doing it alone. If he was, all he had to do was tell me where he was and I would b-be there in an instant. Whatever it was he had to do.

"But he said he wasn't alone. He said he had three other teenagers by his side. T-that worried me enough." Ran gave a watery laugh.

"Then he said that he was calling because he may not be able to call again. H-he said he may die tomorrow night. And that he wanted to be able t-to say goodbye."

"Oh, god Ran. Oh, god." Eri was dumbstruck. _He knew it? Yet he still went into danger practically alone? And then had the nerve to call her daughter just to tell her that?_

"He said there were things he needed to tell me. But he first told me that by midnight on Saturday, if I didn't here from him, that he was dead. And he told me that if that was the case, I was to call Dr. Agasa. He would explain it all."

Ran was starting to cry again. "He told me that he was sorry. Sorry that I cried over him, sorry that he worried me, sorry that he couldn't be with me completely, sorry that he couldn't do anything to help the situation.

"Then he said, and I quote, 'Wish me luck, koishii. I'm going to need it.' Then he...he told me that he loved me. Then he hung up. Oh, Mom! What am I going to do!?"

Then, once again, Ran was sobbing. But, who could blame her? Her one true love might be gone. And it was up to 'Mom' Eri to help her through it. _Here goes nothing._

"Ran, he will come back." Eri said.

"H-how do you know, Mom? How can you be so confident?" Ran asked, her emotions running wild.

"Honey, how can you doubt him? You love him. Believe in him, believe that he will come home safe." Eri told her, cradling the phone like she wished she could do to her daughter.

"But Mom, he's practically going alone. How can I not doubt that he will return? How can I be sure he even cares how I'm feeling with that information?" she shouted.

"Honey, he loves you. He told you himself." she responded calmly over the phone.

"What can words do in this situation, Mom? They're meaningless at this point."

Eri sighed. "Honey, do you remember when you and Shinichi went to the hospital together?" Eri was getting desperate. This was her last resort.

"No, I don't Mom. When did we do that? And what does that have to do anything?" Ran asked.

"You were nine or ten, it was so long ago I can barely remember. Anyway, it was you, your father, Shinichi, his parents, and I. We were having a picnic lunch, so we could all meet each other.

"It was time to eat, and you and Shinichi had fought, again. You weren't going to eat together. But you both wanted to eat by the willow tree. So _**you**_ decided you were going to climb the tree, and eat _**in**_ it. Shinichi was going to be by the base of the tree. Well, the adults and I turned our backs for two minutes, and the next thing we know, you are out of the tree, on top of Shinichi, both of you unconscious."

"Oh my god, Mom. Did you, lawyer-attorney-person-slash-mother-with-motherly-instincts allow me to do that? But that does sound like something I would do." Ran commented.

"Oh, you think I knew beforehand? I found out _**afterwards**_. Gosh Ran, you scared the crap out of all of us. You and Shinichi." Eri told her, her voice going from angry to relieved.

"Sorry. Anyways, continue."

"Yes, well, we did the obvious. We called an ambulance. You were taken to the hospital. The doctors told us you would be fine, just that you would be unconscious for a few more hours. You were in the same room, so we were all there. Shinichi woke up first, though. Care to guess what he said first when he woke up?"

For once, Ran was silent. Almost. "Did he say, 'Where am I?'"

Eri laughed. "No, honey. Close, but no banana. After he woke up, he took a quick look around before asking, 'Is Ran okay? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her.'"

And then Ran began to cry again. She cried and cried. Finally she was able to sniffle something out. "Did he...did he really...say that?"

Eri nodded, forgetting her daughter couldn't see her. "He did. If you don't believe me, ask your father. He may remember. But there's more to the story, Ran. Apparently, while our backs were turned and you started to climb, Shinichi warned you, even though you were fighting. He told you that if you climbed any higher, the branches may be to weak, and you should just come down and eat with him. Being as stubborn as you were, you blew him a raspberry and climbed on."

A giggle was heard. "That sounds like me, Mom. It really does."

"I know. Well, when the branch you decided to sit on broke, Shinichi said he was afraid that you would get really hurt. So even though there wasn't enough time to get one of us's attention, and that he couldn't catch you, he screamed and dove for you anyway. He was laying on his stomach in the dirt, you on top of him."

"He, he did that? Why...why would he risk injuring himself to stop me from getting hurt?" Ran asked, more to herself than to her Mom.

"Because, even at the young age, he loved you. And it was a good thing he dove for you. Shinichi had a nasty bruise on his chest for awhile. According to the doctors, a very sharp rock made the mark, and that if it had you back, instead of Shinichi's chest, it would have been disastrous. It would have hit your spine in such a spot that you would have been paralyzed. The doctors couldn't tell if it would have been your legs or your pinky toe."

"Mom, did he....did he really save me? Did he really love me that much back then?" Ran asked.

"Of course he did, honey. Once you woke up, you didn't remember climbing the tree, so Shinichi told you that you got yourself in trouble again, and he had to bail you out again. Of course, you didn't know karate then." Eri said.

"You believed that his bruises, sprained wrist, and cracked, but not broken, rib was because you couldn't stay out of trouble. Needless to say, he got a few more bruises. But my point was, he risked his well being to save you. It was the power of love that gave him the courage to do that. And if he loved you that much then, think how much that love has grown."

Eri could practically here the gears turning in her daughters head as she thought this over. "Have you thought about he feels about all of this, Ran? Does he want to die? Does he want to have to say goodbye? Is he okay, knowing that he said all the hardest things for a person to say, goodbye, I may die, I'm sorry, and I love you, in one phone call? All I've heard you ask is if Shinichi knows what he's doing to you."

This seemed to really turn the gears. "No, I...I haven't. All I've thought about is how I feel. Oh gosh, I really am selfish. Oh, what....what may I have put Shinichi through? But you are right, Mom. He must love me. He even said so himself. I just need to have faith in him. I need to trust that he will come back. It's all I can do."

Eri smiled to herself. _Mission accomplished. _"That's right, sweetie. I know he'll come back. Just you wait."

"Thank you, Mom. Thanks for listening to me so late at night. I'll let you get back to sleep. Good night."

"Good night Ran. Sleep well. Call me when Shinichi comes home." And with that, the phone was hung up. _Now to see if I can catch even an hours sleep. Shinichi, if you don't come home to Ran, I'll kill you myself._

* * *

hi. Like I said, this has a bouble ending. A sad and happy one. I'm not going to tell you which I publish first, though. So please enjoy, and don't kill me. Byes bye! -Em-chan.


	2. Chapter 2

HI. Ok, sorry this took so long, but I just couldn't get into writing it. I do apologize. And I hope the second ending will come out sooner than the first. So please, Enjoy!

Friday evenings were usually the most joyous times for children. School was out, the weekend started, and a chance to hang out was presented. But Ran Mouri wasn't having fun, or hanging out with friends, or even smiling.

It was because today was the day. Last night Ran had called her Mom, Eri Kisaki, and told her about the phone call she had gotten from Shinichi. It had been a long night as she explained everything to her Mom. But it was her Mom who convinced her to have faith in Shinichi.

But it had been so easy for Ran to believe her. It was much easier than facing the fact that he may not come home. Ever. And now, her faith was even harder to keep than it was last night.

It was now 10:00 p.m. Ran was sitting in the chair her father normally occupied. He had gone on a case that morning in the mountains, and wouldn't be back until Sunday. He had been aware of Ran's worries, but he had brushed them off and told her that Kudo was probably playing a joke on her.

She was alternating between staring at the phone, and staring at the door. She wanted Shinichi to walk in the door. She wanted to at least here his voice on the phone. She wanted the door buzzer to sound, or the phone to ring.

On the outside, Ran looked to be calm, collected, and unworried. But her insides were in chaos. She had butterflies in her stomach, not to mention a horrible sinking feeling. And she hadn't eaten, so she was hungry.

Her heart was telling her that something was wrong, that her mother was wrong. That he was never coming back. Her eyes told her she was almost to the point of tears, she was so worried. And her mind would not stop working.

_Is Shinichi alright? Will he call me, or come in person? Will he even contact me? Or will Dr. Agasa be the one to tell me he's never coming back. Why did he have to leave in the first place?_

_As much as I hate to say it, the odds aren't in Shinichi's favor. His horoscope had said taking risks was a bad idea today. But that's exactly what he's was doing. It's also Friday the thirteenth. The unluckiest day of the year._

_You know, usually at this time, Conan would be right here to comfort me. He would tell me exactly what I needed to hear. That Shinichi cared, that he would come home, whatever it was about, he knew exactly what to say. But he's not here anymore. He's with his parents in America, where he belongs._

_I wish, that both of them were here. I wish...._

But she didn't finish her thought. Exhaustion had taken over, as well as worry and hunger pangs. She collapsed, asleep, in the chair. It was when she fell asleep that you could finally see the chaos that plagued her internally, show on the outside.

RING. RING. RING.

Ran woke up with a start. The first thing that registered in her mind was that the phone was ringing. Wait. It was ringing? It was ringing! Maybe it's Shinichi! Maybe she should pick up the phone.

She dived for the phone. She didn't bother with any greetings other than "Hello?"

"Ran-san." her heart plummeted to the floor. It was Dr. Agasa's voice.

"Hello, . What can I do for you?"

"It's about Shinichi. He's in the hospital and-" she stopped listening after that point. If he was in the hospital, he could survive. He had a chance.

"-to come down here. Ran-san? Are you there? Hello?"

"What hospital is it?" Ran asked. Her voice was calm. Scary calm.

"Beika General but-" she hung up before he could finish what he was saying. Ran grabbed her jacket, put on shoes, and raced out the door.

Ran ran right through the doors of Beika General Hospital thirty minutes later. It had taken to long to hail a taxi. She was panicked, scared, worried, and exhausted from running at light speed all the way there. Even though it was 8:00 am Saturday morning, the hospital lobby was nearly deserted.

Ran went up to the front desk and asked a startled nurse, "Excuse...me, what room....is Shinichi Kudo in?" she was panting from her long run there.

The nurse grabbed a clipboard, flipping through pages until she came to the right one. "Uh, um, west wing, floor five, room 514." the nurse replied, pointing to the left side of the hospital.

"Thanks!" Ran called over her shoulder as she ran to the elevator the nurse pointed to. She pressed the up button and waited, tapping her foot impatiently. When the elevator came up, she was inside before the doors could fully open and pushing the 5 button so hard it might break.

The doors closed and Ran was carried to the fifth floor, the only other passenger a frazzled looking old lady, who was staring at Ran in surprise.

But ran had no time to worry about that now, for the doors had just opened. She dashed down the hall, looking for room numbers as she went. But it was unnecessary, for she could tell which room was Shinichi's.

Outside two doors stood several people: Yukiko Kudo, her head buried into her husband Yuusaku's shoulder, his arms around her.

Heiji Hattori, just staring at the wall in between the two doors with a very grim expression, and bandages covering his bare arms.

Another teenager who could have been Shinichi's twin was just staring at the ceiling, but she couldn't tell his expression for there were to many bandages on his face, and his head in general.

Last was . His head was looking down, but he raised it when he heard her approach. His eyes were so sad, that Ran almost broke down there.

"Ah. Ran-san, you're here. I will not lie to you. It is very unlikely Shinichi will leave the hospital. Everyone else has already said goodbye, so take as long as you need." Ran gulped.

It was easy to see that in the nicest way possible, was saying thhat Shinichi was dying. Tears threatened to fall down Ran's face as she nodded. She walked to the door and looked in. Shinichi was lying in a hospital bed, looking pale. His eyes were closed. He had all sorts of machines plugged into him, and bandages covered the areas without needles.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Upon hearing the door open, Shinichi opened his eyes a crack and looked at her. He smiled, even now making Ran's heart beat faster. They didn't speak as Ran walked over to the chair by his bed and sat down.

A minute passed by in silence, the only noise being the beeping of the monitors. Finally Shinichi broke the silence. "Hey Ran. Sorry about this."

Ran gave a half hearted smile. "You'd better be sorry. After all you put me through, Shinichi Kudo..."

He smiled sadly. "I am, more then you could ever know, Ran. But don't worry. When I'm out of here, you can punish me as you see fit."

Both he and Ran that this was an empty promise. They knew he wouldn't make it out of there alive. But Shinichi was an optimist. That and he didn't want Ran to cry. But Ran had other ideas.

"Shinichi, we both know the real situation. You don't need to pretend."

Shinichi let out a sigh. He had forgotten. When something is urgent, Ran doesn't back down from the hard facts. "I know, Ran. I know. I just don't want to see you sad."

"I know, Shinichi. But I'm not a little girl. I can face the facts. Speaking of facts, what the hell was with that phone call you gave me the other night?"

Ran looked him directly in the eye. There was a deep sadness."I wanted to say goodbye, just in case. Everything I said was true."

A few tears streamed down her face. They weren't tears of happiness, or ones of shock. They were just...tears. "Even when you said you loved me?"

"Especially that. I've loved you for so long, and in these past years, it has only grown." He reached for her hand. Ran shivered internally when she felt the coldness of his hand on her own. _He really is...dying._

But putting that aside, she said what had been on her heart for a long time. "I love you, too, Shinichi. I always have and I always will." The tears came harder. And this time they were happy tears.

The two lovebirds stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. They were happy, oddly enough. One of the pair was dying physically, and the other's heart would die when he did. But they were happy.

Unfortunately, all good things must end.

The beeping of one of the monitors changed. It started to slow down, just the tiniest bit. It was noticeable, though. It was the heart monitor. His heart was slowing down.

They both let out a small gasp as it slowed just a little more. He didn't have much longer. "Okay, Ran. Listen carefully to what I have to say," slower beeping, "I have a favor to ask. There is a little girl in the next room," slower, "she got mixed up in this on accident. You know her, which is why I'm asking you to take care of Haibara-san."

Despite the urgency, Ran let out a small gasp. "Ai-chan? Ai-chan got hurt? But why does she need to be taken care of?"

The monitor slowed again. His breathing was heavy now.

He continued on. "She got hit on her head. She can't remember anything. Who she is or what she's done, she can't remember any of it. I want you to take care of her like you did Conan. Become her big sister, even if she remembers," slower, "who she is. I'm not asking you to replace her other sister, just become her second one."

His breathing was heavier now. He was almost panting.

"Ask or Heiji about the whole story. They'll tell you everything." slower now, "When my will is read, pay close attention. There is something very important for you, as well as some minor possessions as well."

Ran didn't think the monitor beeping could go any slower, but it did. He had mere minutes.

"Always remember" panting, "that I love you more than anyone in the world."

His eyes were starting to close now, and he was barely breathing. Ran's face was covered in tears. She was almost sobbing. "Oh Shinichi...please don't leave me. I love you so much, please don't....please...." now she was sobbing.

Shinichi took the hand that was entwined with Ran's and pulled it free. He lifted it up to her face, caressing her cheek.

He gave her a loving look as he said, "I'll....never....leave you....again. I ....promise."

His eyes closed completely. His hand fell from her face onto the bed. The monitor flat-lined.

Shinichi Kudo was dead.

Doctors and nurses rushed in, paying no mind to Ran as she sat in the chair by his bed, sobbing. Nor did they care when she stood up and left the room and went into the hall. She passed by Mr. and Mrs. Kudo, both crying while looking at the door their son resided in.

Heiji Hattori had silent tears as he to watched the door. And the third person, Shinichi's twin, had tears on what was visible of his face as well. But she did not join them in mourning outside his room.

She walked to a payphone, inserted some coins, and dialed a familiar number. The phone was answered on the second ring. Before they could say anything, Ran spoke.

"Mom, you were wrong."

Hi. I hope you somewhat enjoyed the sad ending. And please, don't ask me what exactly happened to Heiji and Ai, as well as Kaito. I'll leave it up to you. But, following this short notice will be I guess, an epilogue. Just to say what happened.

After Ran had made her phone call to her mother, she wasted no time in getting an explanation. Heiji was the one who told her that Shinichi and Conan were the same person. He told her why. He told her about who Ai Haibara really was.

Ran's first question was wether his life, and Haibara's memory, were worth the price to bring down the Black Organization. But not even he could answer that.

His funeral was four days later. Both of them, Conan and Shinichi's. The world would never know that they were the same person. It would just be two people who died young. Haibara, Ran, Heiji, Kazuha, , Mr. and Mrs. Kudo, the entire police force, and many others.

Ten days after that, Shinichi's will was read. Haibara was left some of Shinichi's blood samples(in case she remembered and wanted to experiment), Heiji got what was supposed to be a we-did-it present: a new motorcycle, and Ran received a ring, a letter, and many smaller items.

The letter explained that Shinichi had planned to propose to Ran, hence the ring. She cried hard when she read the letter.

In the first year that Haibara lived with Ran, things were awkward, to say the least. Ran knew who she really was, but Haibara didn't. But Ran obeyed Shinichi's last request. She became Ran-neechan once again.

One year after she took up the role of 'neechan' once again, Haibara was in an accident. Nothing serious, but they did discover that it most likely permanent amnesia that afflicted Haibara. She would never remember anything of her past life.

And so, Ran would tell Haibara stories about Shiho-neechan, Shinichi-niisan, Conan-kun, and what little was known about her Akemi-neechan. Haibara loved listening to those stories. She may never remember her older siblings, or the brother her age who died young, but she was glad to know the stories.

Ran, Haibara, and the others all got together once a year to remember the deaths of Shiho Miyano, Shinichi Kudo, and for Haibara and the Shounen Tantei(?), Conan Edogawa.

Haibara, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko remained friends for a very long time after they graduated. In fact, by the time Haibara and the others were 14, she and Mitsuhiko were a couple.

Everyone that had ever known Shinichi Kudo led a long and good life. Inspector Mugure retired from the police force at the age of 68, still helping the police force when they really needed it.

Kogoro Mouri reunited with his estranged wife, Eri Kisaki, a few years after taking in Haibara. Kogoro was able to keep a steady stream of clients on his own, and Eri still tried to cook, failing miserably.

Kaito Kuroba married his childhood friend, Aoko Nakamori, when they were 23. They had two children, Conan and Arisu Kuroba. They still visited the Mouri and Hattori family, as well as the Kudo family.

Heiji Hattori took Kazuha Tomoya as his wife when they were 24. They had four children: Hana, Sayuri, Ryuu, and Shizen Hattori. Heiji opened up his own detective agency, and Kazuha became a teacher. A high school teacher, to be specific. They were happy, and remained close friends with Ran and the others.

Ayumi and Genta went their separate ways, having one child each. Genta ended up becoming a fitness instructor, while Ayumi was a costume designer for movies.

Haibara and Mitsuhiko held their wedding when they were 23. They had four children: Shinichi, Shiho, Akemi, and Akio. Ai went on to become a therapist, while Mitsuhiko became an archeologist.

Ran Mouri never married, nor did she have any children. She became a teacher at Teitan Elementary School, and taught Ai and Mitsuhiko's children. Despite the love of her life never getting a chance to propose, she still wore the ring Shinichi had intended to give her. She never forgot him.

"Ran-neechan, please don't leave us." Ai whispered to a woman lying in a bed. They were in a hospital room, in Beika General Hospital. Ai Haibara was kneeling by the bed of Ran Mouri, who was now 67 years old. She was dying of cancer, and chose to spend her last moments with her 'little sister.'

"Ai-chan, all things must die eventually, even me."

Ai took Ran's hand. "But we'll miss you so much. Why now? Why can't you stay with us?"

"I'll miss you too. All of you. But I can't stay because I don't want to. There is someone who is waiting for me. They've been waiting a very long time, and I don't want to keep him waiting any longer." Ran squeezed Ai's hand.

Tears were flowing from Ai's eyes. "'Him'? Who do you mean? Who could be more important than us?" Ai asked.

"Never more important, Ai. Never more important than my little sister and her family. Do you remember the stories I told you when you were younger? I told you about Shinichi-niisan. He was the love of my life, the only one for me. He died when you were ten years old. I need-no, want-to join him."

Ai's grip on Ran's hand lessened. "I understand. If Mitsuhiko were to have died before I did, I would want the same thing."

"Thank you, Ai, for understanding." Ran gave a weak smile. But it quickly disappeared. Her eyes took on a glazed look. "Shinichi? Have you come for me? I've missed you." she whispered.

"Ran? Ran!? No, don't leave! Please...no..." Ai cried.

Ran lifted the hand that wasn't clutched in Ai's hand towards the ceiling. "It's time to come home? Alright. Help me up, Shinichi...thank you..." Her hand fell onto the bed, her other hand went cold and clammy, her eyes closed, and the monitor flat-lined.

Ai put her head in her hands and sobbed. She cried for her sister, for the siblings she never knew. She cried for the girl who was the closest thing to a mother that she ever had.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi! Sorry this took so long. I really wanted to get this out sooner, but I had practically no time what with final tests for school. And yes, school is out for me, so updates _**SHOULD**_ come more often, but I make no guarantees. Anyways, Enjoy!

_Italics_ are thoughts

"words" are spoken

Waiting, waiting, waiting, look out the window, waiting, waiting, stare at the phone, waiting, waiting... That was Ran's pattern. It was Saturday evening, Shinichi had hour to show himself before she called .

Her dad was out, probably playing mahjong and getting drunk. But she didn't know. All she cared about was that Shinichi came home safe. Alive and safe, to be exact. She had been so worried when she got the phone call, that she called her Mom.

Her Mom had calmed her down some, enough to not have a panic attack. But now, she was getting dangerously close to one. Ran was sitting in her father's office chair, his office having the best view of the street.

It was a quiet night. The moon was bright, and the faint sound of crickets could be heard. Normally, these sounds calmed Ran. But they did nothing now. Getting agitated, she stood up and started pacing, the same few words running through her head: _Come home safe, please come home alive. _As she paced, she would stop, look at the clock, and continue.

The clock seemed to hate Ran, fore it was moving slower than it ever had for her before. Forty-five minutes. Forty minutes. Half an hour. Twenty-five stupid minutes. Twenty minutes. Fifteen minutes.

Ten long minutes.

Five minutes.

Three minutes to wait before she called.

Two minutes.

One agonizing minute.

Midnight. It was officially Sunday morning.

Ran stopped her pacing in front of her father's desk. It was like a heavy weight had fallen on her heart as the realization hit her: He was late.

_He's not coming. He's not here. He left me. He's gone. I'll never see that smirk of his that always makes my heart race. I'll never hear that deep voice of his again. I'll never look into those blue eyes of his ever again. He promised me that he would come home. He promised! But...I guess he lied._

The tears were falling now. Her face was soaked and splotchy, and she was sobbing. She had waited for him, just like he asked. And now what? She had a broken heart. But I'll be damned if I don't follow Shinichi's last instructions!

It took several minutes for Ran to stop sobbing. The tears were still flowing freely, but they were silent now. It's the best she could hope for. She took a few steps to the phone on her father's desk. She had a conversation that needed to be had.

She dialed 's number and waited. And waited a little more. But when no one picked up after 17 rings, she hung up. She put the phone back on it's cradle and took a step back.

_Okay, Ran, what now? Shinichi is not coming to get you, he didn't call you, and isn't picking up. What should I do? Shinichi said to call , but he's not picking up. So the next logical thing to do would be to see if he's at home at all._

With that plan in mind, Ran slipped on her jacket and headed out the door. But she didn't make it to 's house that night. She didn't even get to cross the first street on the way there. Because she saw something right outside, and what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.

It was the outline of a person. The figure appeared to be limping, with something under it's arms. As the figure stepped out of the darkness and into the light of the only street lamp on the street, Ran gasped.

And who was it, you ask? Why, none other then the mystery otaku himself, Shinichi Kudo.

As he stepped farther into the light, Ran saw more of the details she couldn't see at first. He was indeed limping, because there was a bulky cast on his right leg. The things under his arms were crutches, and from the looks of it, he didn't know how to use them yet. He was wearing what looked like hospital scrubs, with a sneaker on his left foot. He had a bandage on his head, and he was looking down as if he were watching the ground so he didn't trip.

He kept hobbling on the empty sidewalk, not having noticed Ran yet. So Ran made him notice her. "Shinichi?" she asked.

His head came up faster than the speed of light. He stopped hobbling about five feet from Ran. His eyes were slightly surprised to see her. But Ran could also see that he was...happy? To see her?

"Ran, what are you doing out here? You shouldn't be outside this late..." he trailed off, not really feeling in the mood to scold her, especially when he was walking around outside as well. A point she quickly brought up.

"If you're reprimanding me, shouldn't you be reprimanded as well? After all, you're out here, walking around, late at night." She couldn't look him in the eye. She was afraid she would break down then and there if she did.

The atmosphere became tense, for neither knew what to say. Ran knew what she wanted to say, and Shinichi knew it, too. But both were afraid what would happen if the subject was brought up.

But it had to be brought up. So, Shinichi decided to be the adult. "Ran, I'm sorry." It wasn't exactly the topic, but it should be enough to bring out Ran's anger.

He was right. She was mad. "Sorry? You're sorry? You should be more than that. I've waited for you for how long? I don't even know anymore. Then, you have the audacity to call me like that? Do you know how worried I was? I was practically having a panic attack! I thought you were gonna die! Do you understand that!" Ran yelled.

Well, it was best that Shinichi let Ran blow off some steam, even if it was early in the morning and people were sleeping. "Do you understand what I went through? And that it was all your FAULT!" she screamed.

Her anger, Shinichi was prepared for. But he was not expecting tears. Those he wasn't ready for, but that is what Ran had now. Tears, starting to fall down her cheeks.

"But," she whispered so quietly that Shinich had to come closer to hear her. "I am glad that you're okay. Well, not okay, but alive. You had me so scared I would never see you again. Don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"R-ran..." he breathed, not sure how to respond. But he was saved the trouble, because Ran launched herself into his arms. Her arms went around his waist, and after a second of hesitation, the arm he didn't need to stay balanced went around her.

For what seemed like hours, Ran cried into his chest, and he held her. It was what Ran needed to feel better, because sometimes, all you need to feel better is a good crying session.

Eventually, Ran asked Shinichi a question. Several, actually. "Shinichi, why didn't you call me to tell me you were safe? Why didn't answer his phone when I called, and why are you out here? And how did you get so injured? And why are you wearing hospital scrubs?"

He sighed. He should have known that Ran would get to the point. "I didn't call you because I was well enough to walk around, and wanted to surprise you. Dr,Agasa didn't answer his phone because I didn't want the surprise spoiled. As to how I got injured is a long story, which I'll tell you later. As for my clothes, my old ones were to bloody and torn to wear."

"Oh." was the only response he got. Ran nuzzled her head into his chest. She sighed. For now, everything was alright. Of course, there were other matters to attend to...and Ran planned on taking care of them. Immediately.

"Shinichi, is what you said true?" She was blushing slightly, but her face was blocked from Shinichi's eyes.

As for Shinichi, he was to lost to fully understand Ran's question. He was simply mesmerized at how perfectly their bodies fit together, even if he was injured. So, when he heard Ran's question, he answered: "I said a lot of things. Which thing are you talking about?"

Ran's blush deepened. "The part at the end, just before you hung up on me."

He blushed slightly as he realized what she meant. "Yes, Ran, I meant it. With my whole heart, I love you. And I will never stop loving you."

"Shinichi, I love you too. I always have." she hugged him tighter. "And by the way, I'm never letting go."

Shinichi looked at her, already guessing the answer, but wanting her to say it anyway. "Why?"

Ran gave a watery giggle. "Because I'm afraid that if I let go, you'll disappear again."

Shinichi smile at her. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me for a long time. A **very** long time. In fact..." Shinichi pushed Ran away from him with one hand. Ran looked deeply hurt.

Shinichi rummaged through a pocket in his pants with his free hand and pulled out a small, black box. "I was actually planning on waiting till you knew the whole story, but I just can't. I know I should get down on one knee, but I'm not able to, so I hope standing will be okay."

He put the box in front of Ran, and opened it. Inside was an engagement ring. The silver band was simple, but when combined with the beautiful round diamond on top, it was the most breathtaking ring Ran had ever seen.

And with a serious face, but loving eyes, Shinichi asked Ran one of the most important questions any women could be asked. "Ran, I love you. So much, that I would give my life for you. I've never met anyone so loving, so kind, or so beautiful, and I want you to be mine forever. I know it's sudden, but, Ran, will you marry me?"

Ran gasped. She couldn't help it. Her childhood friend, who disappeared for a few years, who she had hardly seen or talked to in that time, who she had never actually had a romantic relationship with, who she had just confessed her love to, was proposing to her.

But before she even had time to think about the answer, she had answered, "Yes, I will marry you." in the smallest of whispers.

The smile that appeared on Shinichi's face could have out shined the sun, had it been out. He carefully took Ran's hand and, sliding the ring out of the box, placed on her ring finger. He kissed the tips of each finger, before kissing the ring itself.

Ran reclaimed her hand, and stared at her finger. Yes, it looked lovely on her. But even still, it looked foreign on Ran's hand. She just wasn't used to seeing it, but she will get used to it. For she was going to wear it for the rest of her life. Maybe even longer. Who knows.

Ran shoved herself into Shinichi again, making him stumble. He had to drop one of his crutches, but he wasn't on the ground, at least. Ran hugged him, hard. And he hugged back just as hard. Ran looked up at him, meeting his loving gaze. She could see her future in those eyes, and she liked the idea of it. She leaned closer to him, as Shinichi lowered his head.

In the dark of night, no one noticed the two teenagers kissing passionately under the light of a street lamp. They were happy, and had their whole lives in front of them. The wind blew, ruffling their hair. Crickets chirped, the moon shone, and all was calm.

The streetlight flickered for a moment, then all was dark.

Well, this is now finished. I'm happy because this is my first piece that isn't a one-shot. I hope you enjoyed it!

Read and review, please, 'cause the more reviews I get, the sooner stuff gets published!

Enjoy your summer break, everyone!


End file.
